toolbox-touchdesigner

Day 1: Introduction & Core Concepts

🕘 Morning Session (3 hours) – Understanding the Interface & Navigation

Objective: Get familiar with the TouchDesigner interface, node-based workflow, and operator families.

1️⃣ Introduction to the TouchDesigner Interface (30 min)

🔹 What is TouchDesigner? Overview of real-time visual programming.
🔹 Exploring the Network Editor, Parameters, and Timeline.
🔹 Navigating the interface (zooming, panning, and selecting).

📌 Exercise: Open TouchDesigner and explore the default project. Modify an existing node, tweak parameters, and preview changes.

2️⃣ Understanding Operators & Network Anatomy (30 min)

🔹 The 5 Operator Families:

• TOPs (Texture Operators) – image/video processing
• CHOPs (Channel Operators) – signal processing & animation
• SOPs (Surface Operators) – 3D modeling & geometry
• DATs (Data Operators) – working with text & tables
• COMPs (Component Operators) – UI elements & containers

🔹 Reading Networks: Understanding node connections, flow, and dependencies.
🔹 How to connect, rearrange, and rewire operators effectively.

📌 Exercise:

• Create a simple network with different operator families.
• Observe how data flows from one node to another.

3️⃣ Creating & Connecting Operators (45 min)

🔹 Adding new operators to the network.
🔹 Cooking process: How TouchDesigner updates nodes dynamically.
🔹 Bypass, Delete, and Replacing Operators efficiently.
🔹 Using the Viewer Active Mode to preview results.

📌 Exercise:

• Create a TOP network that loads an image and applies a basic effect.
• Experiment with connections and node order.

4️⃣ Operator Families Deep Dive (45 min)

Each group will create mini-projects using different operator families:

☞ TOPs: Load an image, apply color adjustments, and transform it.
☞ CHOPs: Generate a sine wave and manipulate it in real-time.
☞ SOPs: Create basic 3D shapes and modify them.
☞ DATs: Display text dynamically.
☞ COMPs: Build a simple UI with a button and slider.

📌 Challenge: Combine multiple operators and animate a simple effect.

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🕒 Afternoon Session (3 hours) – Working with Images (TOPs)

Objective: Learn how to import, manipulate, and process images/videos.

1️⃣ Importing & Manipulating Images (45 min)

🔹 Loading images into TouchDesigner (Movie File In, Webcam Feed, etc.).
🔹 Adjusting Resolution, Format, and Color Space.
🔹 Using Transform TOP for scaling, rotation, and positioning.

📌 Exercise: Import an image and modify it using Transform & Level TOPs.

2️⃣ Basic Compositing, Mattes & Masks (1 hour)

🔹 Compositing techniques: Overlays, blending modes, transparency.
🔹 Creating masks for selective image effects.
🔹 Using Ramp TOP, Noise TOP, and Threshold to define masks.

📌 Exercise:

• Blend two images together with different blend modes.
• Create a mask using a custom shape.

3️⃣ Building Patterns & Applying Effects (45 min)

🔹 Using procedural Noise & Ramp textures.
🔹 Creating animated visuals with feedback loops.
🔹 Applying effects like Blur, Edge Detect, and Glow.

📌 Exercise:

• Build a dynamic background pattern using Noise TOP.
• Add feedback effects for motion trails.

4️⃣ Saving & Exporting (30 min)

🔹 Capturing visuals as images or videos.
🔹 Adjusting settings for performance optimization.
🔹 Best practices for real-time rendering.

📌 Final Challenge:

• Apply everything learned today in a mini-project:
  🔹 Load an image, add effects, and export the result.
  🔹 Present the before & after versions.

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📌 Summary of Day 1

✅ Navigating TouchDesigner & understanding the interface.
✅ Learning the 5 operator families.
✅ Working with images, masks, and effects.
✅ mini-projects for real-time visuals.

Ideas / References

• Day01 challenges ideas
• Day01 exercise ideas
• Filters idea
• Keyboard Shortcuts cheat-sheet

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